Since 1992 the Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC) has supported collection of properly rinsed HDPE pesticide containers in the USA for subsequent recycling into end use products. Given that chemical residues might be found in products manufactured from recycled pesticide containers, the challenge has been to assess the potential risk that these residues might pose to humans and the environment. To this end the ACRC developed the Risk Assessment Model (ACRC-RAM�) to facilitate the quantitative determination of human and environmental risk based on the types and amounts of chemical residues anticipated and the characteristics of the end-use products being considered. This model was first employed in the assessment of potential risk of �industrial� end use products made from recycled containers in an extensive study in 2002. The residue concentrations of 47 pesticides were investigated during this study. None were found to pose an unacceptable risk to human health and/or the environment when evaluated against approved end-use applications. Many advances in pesticide actives have been made during the last 10 years. Therefore, in 2012 the ACRC initiated an updated study targeting 48 of the most current commonly used pesticides. To illustrate the approach that was used, the poster will utilize a �road map� that describes: Establishment of spatial, temporal and fiscal study boundaries; Statistical design of the recovered pesticide plastic sampling plan; Production of a �test� product for attainment of wipe samples; Performance of pesticide assays; Data input to the RAM; and RAM output. Since the mission of the ACRC also includes educating pesticide users concerning responsible container management, educational materials that the ACRC disseminates widely will be illustrated on the poster. In summary, conference attendees will gain an appreciation for the scientific methods that the ACRC has developed and applied to identify acceptable end uses for recovered pesticide container plastic.

Identifying acceptable end uses for recovered pesticide container plastic

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.